Robert Nadeau (aikidoka)

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Robert Nadeau (born 1937-03-10) is an American aikido teacher holding the rank of 7th dan shihan in the Aikikai.


Trained in Japan by the founder of the art, Morihei Ueshiba, Nadeau was one of the first Aikido teachers in Northern California. He is a co-founder and division head of the California Aikido Association and holds a teaching certification signed by Morihei Ueshiba and co-signed by second Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba. He is also the founder and head instructor of City Aikido of San Francisco and Aikido of Mountain View, Mountain View, CA.

Nadeau is well-known as a pioneer in the energy and awareness aspects of aikido, having committed his martial arts career to translating the principles handed down by Ueshiba into fields beyond aikido, including psychotherapy, personal development, performance, and business. While his metaphysical teaching can be esoteric and abstract, he is a master technician, drawing on experience in other martial arts including judo and karate). In addition, he has a background as a police officer, a dog trainer, a body-building coach, and as a meditation teacher. In his own words, "For better or worse, I am a spiritual researcher."

Nadeau had a close and substantial off-the-mat relationship with Ueshiba, which included regular extended trips to the Japanese countryside. Nadeau also assumed the position of publisher of an English-language newsletter about aikido. Through the format of asking questions during small and sometimes private meetings, Nadeau learned first-hand some of the ideas and philosophies that Ueshiba wished to pass on to interested students. Primary among his teachings was the concept of "two forces" that combine to produce a new identity with enhanced capabilities and heightened awareness. This "basic sex" or "breeding" is a metaphysical AND physical evolution that can not be achieved through thinking alone or through intellectual study. Rather, according to Nadeau, this progression occurs in the "functioning realm", in the body, and in the movement and interaction of multiple bodies on the mat.

Morihei Ueshiba spoke of Izanagi (male) and Izanami (female), the two great forces that, in Shinto mythology, created the islands of Japan. Or again, he spoke of Fire - Water - Steam as another example of two forces combining to yield a third transformed entity. Translating these metaphysical concepts into practical aikido training has steered Nadeau's teaching style since his return from his studies with Ueshiba in Japan in the early 1960s. As a reminder of these direct transmissions, Ueshiba presented Nadeau with a hand-written scroll that translates roughly "Teach the Aikido that cannot be seen with the human eye."

Nadeau's typical class presentation involves 1) drawing attention to the body, moving and functioning with the body (as opposed to with only the mind/consciousness), and becoming present in the moment; 2) establishing the "frame", or physical structure/form/shape, of a particular aikido technique; 3) opening the body within the frame of a technique to invite in or to allow the "flow", aka "ki" (in Japanese; "Qi" in Chinese) or energetic movement, particular to that technique; 4) then embodying and observing the resultant "breeding" of frame and flow with each other to produce a new identity in the student, a new "I Am" that has new qualities of physical functioning inherited from and evolving beyond the two "parents" of frame and flow. [Other "breeding pairs" that can work in the same way as frame/flow include receptive/positive, back/front, up-flow/down-flow, circle/center, etc.]

Nadeau has not published any books or recent writings of his own; further information about him is available in many books about aikido and through the writings of some of his students, including George Burr Leonard.

[edit] References

  • Stone, John and Meyer, Ron (eds.) Aikido in American North Atlantic Books 1995. ISBN 1-883319-27-7
  • Perry, Susan Remembering O-Sensei Living and Training with Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido
  • Leonard, George Way of Aikido, The: Life Lessons from an American Sensei: Life Lessons from an American Sensei
  • Palmer, Wendy The Intuitive Body Aikido as a Clairsentient Practice
  • Siegel, Andrea Women in Aikido
  • Meyer, Ron and Reeder, Mark Center: The Power of Aikido
  • Suenaka, Roy and Watson, Christopher Complete Aikido: Aikido Kyohan : The Definitive Guide to the Way of Harmony
  • Frantzis, (Bruce) Kumar The Power of Internal Martial Arts: Combat Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi, and Hsing-I 1998.
  • Leonard, George Burr The Ultimate Athlete 2000.
  • Fields, Rick The Awakened Warrior New Consciousness Reader 1994.
  • Pranin, Stanley Aikido Journal http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=252 1999